1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fuel cell system, and more particularly, to an apparatus for controlling electric power from a fuel cell, which takes a transient response of a gas controlling system of the fuel cell into account.
2. Description of the Related Art
A running state (working fluid is gas in this state) may respond slowly as demanded output power from a fuel cell increases. Therefore, producible output power may not satisfy the demanded output power. When the demanded output power increases, if the demanded output power is attempted to be produced, output voltage from the fuel cell may fall and the fuel cell may deteriorate. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-284102 (Hereafter, this application is called a first conventional art.) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H7-75214 (Hereafter, this application is called a second conventional art.) are known as conventional arts to solve the above problems.
The first conventional art has features that a function generator sets a transient upper limit of an electric current corresponding to the inputted target output, and that output power from the fuel cell is restricted so that electric current produced from the fuel cell does not exceed the transient upper limit of the electric current.
The second conventional art has features that a target mass flow rate of air being necessary for the demanded output power is set, and that an ultimately demanded output power is determined based on a detected mass flow rate of the air.